Fruitful Lives in Christ

 “and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Mark wrote, “He noticed a leafy fig tree in the distance, so he walked over to see if there was any fruit on it, but there was none—only leaves (for it wasn’t yet the season for bearing figs).”  The fig tree is first mention when Adam and Eve used fig leaves as a “covering” to hide their nakedness when they fell into sin.  It also became a hiding place for Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus.  The tree with leaves but no fruit can also be a symbol of the religious system that was in Israel at that time.  From here Jesus went  to drive out the money changers from the temple, who were rotten fruit.  Jesus said, “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.”  Jesus ensured through the Feast of Firstfruits that the Holy Spirit will empower every believer to have a fruitful life.  The Holy Spirit helps us to abide in Jesus Who said, ““I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”  Let’s be the fruitful branch that bears much fruit.  Amen!

Faithful to the New Covenant of our God

 “To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The wisdom from above says, “Only wisdom can save you from the flattery of the promiscuous woman— she’s such a smooth-talking seductress! She left her husband and has forgotten her wedding vows.”  Clearly a warning to all those who commit adultery, though there is a deeper meaning here.  The book of Proverbs tells us of two women: the adulteress and the virtuous woman at the end of this book.  Both are a parable of two systems in the Church.  One is religious and alluring, tempting the young anointed ones to come to her “bed” of compromise, and which nullifies the Word of God.  The other is the holy Bride, virtuous and pure, keeping her first love of her “wedding vows” to Christ alone.  Her “house” is the House of the Lord.  One system brings shame and despair and the other brings favour, honour and glory.  It is wisdom that protects us from one and unites us to the other.  As we approach the end of this age, may we be the faithful ones who are victorious as we persevere for our faith and may our names be found in the Book of Life.  Amen!

Bless the Children and the Coming Generations

 “And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Mark wrote, “The parents kept bringing their little children to Jesus so that He would lay His hands on them and bless them. But the disciples kept rebuking and scolding the people for doing it. When Jesus saw what was happening, He became indignant with His disciples and said to them, “Let all the little children come to Me and never hinder them! Don’t you know that God’s kingdom exists for such as these? Listen to the truth I speak: Whoever does not open their arms to receive God’s kingdom like a teachable child will never enter it.” Then He embraced each child, and laying His hands on them, He lovingly blessed each one.”  The laying on of Jesus’s hands was the impartation of a blessing.  Parents should always bring their children to be blessed by Jesus as it is His desire to bless children.  The disciples could not see people the way Jesus sees them.  We, who have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus and know that the resurrected Christ dwells in us, must needs release His blessing especially on children even today.  We are blessed to bless others especially children.  Amen!

True Wisdom

 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: But fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, And chains about thy neck.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Solomon has written most of these wise sayings.  “We cross the threshold of true knowledge when we live in obedient devotion to God. Stubborn know-it-alls will never stop to do this, for they scorn true wisdom and knowledge. Pay close attention, my child, to your father’s wise words and never forget your mother’s instructions. For their insight will bring you success, adorning you with grace-filled thoughts and giving you reins to guide your decisions.”  The “fear of the Lord” implies submission, awe, worship and reverence.  You will pass from darkness to wisdom’s light by the “fear” of the Lord.  A fool is one who hates true wisdom and correction, with no desire to acquire revelation knowledge.  What will bring us wisdom is the words of our Father (God) and our mother (the Church, the freewoman - as we’re the seed of Abraham, the children of promise like Isaac the child of promise).  The adornment on our neck is our willing obedience that guides our decision, in contrast to being stiff-necked or proud.  Let’s submit to the Holy Spirit in surrender as He leads us to do God’s will.  Amen!

See God’s Kingdom Powerfully in Christ

 “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭KIV

Mark recorded, “Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here now who won’t experience death until they see God’s kingdom realm manifest with power!” After six days, Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, Jacob and John, and hiked up a high mountain to be alone. And Jesus’ appearance was dramatically altered, for he was transfigured before their very eyes! His clothing sparkled and became glistening white—whiter than any bleach in the world could make them. Then suddenly, right in front of them, Moses and Elijah appeared, and they spoke with Jesus.”  This manifestation of the power of the Kingdom of God is seen in three dimensions as - Jesus’s transfiguration and the appearing of Moses and Elijah on the mountain; Jesus’s resurrection and ascension into glory inaugurating a new era of God’s Kingdom power; the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which brought to birth the Church of Jesus Christ and extending the Kingdom of God to all the earth. Jesus said that the good news of the kingdom of God will be spread all over the world, and may we co-labour with God to increase it in our generation.  Amen!

Let Everyone Breathe Praises to the LORD

 “Let every thing that hath breath Praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭150‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This the last of the Hallelujah psalms to commemorate the second temple, “Let everyone everywhere join in the crescendo of ecstatic praise to Yahweh! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”  When the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, man became a living being.  The breath that mankind has to live on planet earth, is from God.  But when sin came and tarnished mankind, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to planet earth to make us new creatures to bring the Kingdom of God to this planet earth.  So Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again…born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, now the Spirit of life breathes into us and liberates us from sin and death.  This is the breath as a new creation, that causes us to praise God with all our being.  Now the Spirit that God breathed into our hearts is a jealous Lover who intensely desires to have more and more of us.  That is why we praise Him with all our being.  Amen!

Personal Revelation of Who Christ Is

 “And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬-‭31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Mark records, “He asked them, “But who do you say that I Am?” Peter spoke up, saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” Then He warned them not to breathe a word of this to anyone. From then on, Jesus began to tell His disciples that He, the Son of Man, was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer great injustice from the elders, leading priests, and religious scholars. He also explained that He would be killed and three days later be raised to life again.”  Simon Peter heard the question Jesus asked, and answered it.  Simon means “he who hears” for he was the first one who heard the revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s Son, Jesus’s true identity.  The Messiah had to suffer great injustices of beatings, mockings, rejection and illegal trial.  For the Messiah to suffer was contrary to every belief system among the Jews as they believed the Messiah to be the King of Israel, surrounded with glory, not suffering.  Jesus prophesied His death at other times also and each time the disciples were confused and unable to understand and Jesus explained every time the cost of following Him.  Unless we have a revelation of Who Jesus is to us personally, we won’t be able to understand why He had to suffer, die, be buried and rise again.  May we hear the Father’s revelation to us personally. Amen!

The Unrestrained Joy of Our Salvation in Christ

 “Let them praise his name in the dance: Let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: He will beautify the meek with salvation.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭149‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

This is a Hallelujah psalm sung when the second temple was inaugurated.  “Break forth with dancing! Make music and sing God’s praises with the rhythm of drums! For He enjoys His faithful lovers. He adorns the humble with His beauty, and He loves to give them victory.”  Dancing,making music and singing, is connected with unrestrained joy.  Unrestrained joy is a profound exuberant, spiritual response to God’s Presence, salvation, and blessings, transcending circumstances to become a "joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory". It is an outward expression of an inward reality, a dance of victory in God’s Presence.  These expressions of joy are the dancing, shouting, singing, praising and laughing.  It was seen in David dancing with all his might when bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem; and the Magi upon seeing the star “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy".  As Luke tells us, “ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”  Jesus Himself said, “How content you become when you weep with complete brokenness, for you will laugh with unrestrained joy.”  In the new covenant we are commanded to rejoice and again to rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.  Let the salvation we have personally experienced, not be covered up with religious duty, but let the source of our joy be anchored in the Lord’s Presence, His glorious salvation, and His goodness, rather than external circumstances.  Amen!

Jesus Christ Heals Even Today

 “And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭32‬-‭37‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Mark recorded, “Some people brought to Him a deaf man with a severe speech impediment. They pleaded with Jesus to place His hands on him and heal him. So Jesus led him away from the crowd to a private spot. Then He stuck His fingers into the man’s ears and placed some of His saliva on the man’s tongue. Then He gazed into heaven, sighed deeply, and spoke to the man’s ears and tongue, “Ethpathakh,” which is Aramaic for “Open up, now!” At once the man’s ears opened and he could hear perfectly, and his tongue was untied and he began to speak normally. Jesus ordered everyone to keep this miracle a secret, but the more He told them not to, the more the news spread! The people were absolutely beside themselves and astonished beyond measure. And they began to declare, “Everything He does is wonderful! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”  Jesus led the man away from the unbelief of the people around, to work His miracle and healed him with His saliva.   (Later, the wicked people would spit on Jesus in public.)  Jesus then told the man not to tell others, but he did.  Now Jesus tells us to spread the good news, and we don’t.  Let’s love Jesus and obey Him.  Amen!

All Creation & All the Earth Declares Christ’s Glory

 “He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: He hath made a decree which shall not pass. Praise the LORD from the earth, Ye dragons, and all deeps:”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭148‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

A Hallelujah psalm to commemorate the building of the second temple, “He established the cosmos to last forever, and He stands behind His commands so His orders will never be revoked. Let the earth join in with this parade of praise! You mighty creatures of the ocean’s depths, echo in exaltation!”  All creation is beautiful to God and Jesus the Lord of all creation towers above it, for all things exist through Him and for Him. And that God made Him, pioneer of our salvation, perfect through His sufferings, for this is how He brings many sons and daughters to share in His glory. In fact, all creation is eagerly waiting for God to show who His children are.  At the end, all creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea will be speaking. The whole creation will speak, “Praise and honour belong to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! Glory and power belong to God for ever and ever!”  Whenever we praise Him, we join with all creation even the dragons in the deep - all creation - to praise Him for ever. There is  salvation in no other, for there is no other name under heaven except the Name of Jesus.  All heavens declare His glory.  Amen!